Ventilator construction



F. N. ROSS VENTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Aug. 28, 1934.

5 Sheets-Sheet 1 I Filed July 9,1931

u l l A TTORN Aug. 28 1934; F. N. oss 1,971,920

VENTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 9, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 "IMO I wi l" I ,I l

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l ifi INVENTOR. -70 hem-MAW fiass.

' BY I flpmw r ATTORNEYS,

' Aug. 23, 1934.

F. N. ROSS VENTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 9, 1931 5 Sheet-Sheet 3 INVENTOR. P72503670? (Foss,

' ATTORNEYS.

Aug. 28, 1934. Ross 1,971,920

VENTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 9, 1951 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 I NV EN TOR.

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ATTORNEYS.

F. N. ROSS VBNTILATOR CONSTRUCTION Filed July 9, 1931 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 IM/ENTOR. W503i! Nfiasa.

ATTORNEYS Patented Aug. 28, 1934 UNITED STATE PATENT OFFICE 1,971,920 vuu'mn'roa cons'rnuc'non Frederick N. Ross, Detroit, Mich. Application July 9, 1931,Serial No. 549,711

12 Claims. (01:98-43) This invention has to do with ventilator construction and it is concerned particularly with a structure adapted for-disposition-in the wall ofa building. There are a number of objects of the 5 invention among which are. the following:a

ventilator of such construction that its disposition and assembly in the wall of a building may be easily and readily accomplished. A structure in which some of the major parts are preassembled;

. that is to say, some of the major parts are assembled to each other so that they may be mounted as a unit into the installation in a wall; an improved control mechanism wherein an op-v tional arrangement may be employed without requiring a change in the control mechanism per se.

easy installation in the wall yet one which aifords' an opening therethrough, generally of circular formation for accommodating and nicely fitting an air circulation fan. It is advantageous that this central opening or air passageway be formed by separate members carried or supported adiacent the opposite facings of the wall, and which when properly associated with each other effect an air passageway in which the fan is located. This arrangement materially facilitates assembly of the construction in .a wall. These and other objects will become more apparent as the detailed-description progresses in connection with the accompanying drawings.

. Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken through a ventilator construction made in accordance with the ILO invention and showing the same installed in a building wall. I

Fig. 2 is a horizontal sectionthrough a side of the construction showing some of the .control mechanism and looking substantially on line 2-2 of Fig. 1. V

- Fig. 3 is a view showing a wall in section illustrating the first step of the installation.

Fig. 4 is a view looking in the direction of the arrows 4-4 of Fig. 3. I

Fig. 5 is a view similar to Fig. 3 showing how the building wall may be constructed around the ventilator construction. Fig. 6 is an outside face view of a ventilator with parts cut away and some parts in section. Fig. '7 is a vertical 'section'illustrating the complete ventilator structure in operating condition.

Fig. 8 is an inside face view with some parts cut away and some in section.

Fig. 9is an enlarged detail with some parts shown in section illustrating a structural arrangement which facilitates assembly.

Fig. 10 is a view in vertical section through a wall illustrating how the ventilatorzconstruction may be modified for a building wall of different structural formation, and also illustrating a modifled arrangement of control.

Fig. .11 is a front elevation of a control unit as shown inFig. 10.

Fig. 12 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 1212 of Fig. 10.

Referring to Fig. 1, there is a wall structure shown of composite nature, the outer or exposed portion comprising brick facing 1, with the inner structure of framework comprising board sheeting 2 with the inside of the wall finished as at 3. As shown in Fig. 4 the inner frame structure comprises studding 4; extending between studding are supporting frame members 5 which may be provided for theventilator.

The structure of the ventilator, it is thought, may be advantageously described in conjunction with an advantageous manner of installation.

- For this purpose refer to Fig. 3. 'When the inner framework of the wall is constructed the 'ventilator may be located as shown in this figure. The ventilator comprises an outer shell 10 which may be generally of square formation, as shown in Fig. 4, and which may be of sheet metal. This is located and secured to the framework by means of screws or the like 11' taken into the supporting members 5 and studding. At the time of the installation of the outer shell 10, one of the members providing the air passageway may be assembled therewith. This member may be termed a Venturi member by reason of its particular shape, as shown herein, but this term is not to be construed as limiting the invention to any particular shape of the member as the term is used in the specification and claims in a de- 10 scriptive sense and not a limiting sense. This member may be either constructed of sheet metal or of a casting'and has an' outer rim 11 of square formation and may be provided with a shoulder 12 for fitting into the outer member 10.. Thus 10 the member 11 at its outer end is of square formation similar to the member 10. The shapes may not necessarily be exactlysquare but use of this term is made in-order to clearly set forth the invention. This passageway member has a 10 hollow inward extension 13 which projects inwardly from the flange portion 11 and which gradually changes in shape from a generally square formation until at its inner endit is substantially circular thus forming a central circular opening as shown in Fig. 4. After this part of the ventilator construction has been mounted to the inner wooden framework, as shown in Fig. 3, the exterior brick work may be laid around the same, as illustrated in Fig. 6. The square formation of the outer member 10 and the outer portion 11 of the passageway member facilitates the laying of the outer brick facing.

The passageway member may be secured to the outer member 10 in any suitable manner, and one way of securing the same is by means of a suitable number of brackets 14 (Figs 1 and 3) secured to the outer member 10 through which screws 15 may be taken into suitable lug portions in the outer portions of the member. These lugs may be positioned one adjacent each comer. The outer facing of the passageway member may be of recessed formation in which louvers may be carried. For this purpose rods 16 and 17 may extend transversely across the outer portion 11 and may be secured thereto by riveting the ends of the rods, as shown at 18 (Fig. 6). Upon each rod a louver or closure member 19 is swiveled. These louvers may be of sheet metal with the metal formed into bearing like formation around each rod. The louvers may have curved ends 20, the upper one of which closes over the journaled portion of the other, as clearly shown in Fig. 1. Two louvers are shown but the invention is not to be limited to the showing as one or more movable closure devices may be provided.

Also assembled with the ventilator construction already described are operating devices for the louvers, and in addition thereto operating devices for an electric switch for a fan motor. Secured to the upper louver is an arm 20 which projects through a slot 21 in the passageway member so as to lie outside the passageway member and inside the outer shell 10, as shown in Fig. 2. Secured to the lower louver member is a similar arm 22 which projects through a similar opening in the passageway member. These two arms are connected by a link 23, and one is connected to an operating link 24. Y

Mounted on the outer shell 10 and projecting inwardly is a stud 26 upon which is mounted a rockable member 27. This member has an arm 28 to which the link 24 is connected. It has an arm 29 attached to which may be a coil spring 30 having one end fixedly secured as at 31. The arm 29 is preferably provided with a flanged end 32 (Fig. 3) and an aperture 34, the purpose of which will presently a pear.

Also carried by the outer shell 10 is an electric switch 40 supported by a bracket 41 and having an operating arm 42 which extends through an aperture 43 in the flanged end of arm 35'of the member 27. The bracket 41 includes a supporting part 45' positioned substantially as shown in Fig. 9 which carries a female member of an electricplug, as illustrated at 46, connected by wires as shown, to an electric line running through the switch. The wires of the line may enter through a suitable bushing 4'7. At this time we might also point out that on thestud 26 is the washer 36 which backs up the spring 3'1 tending normally to urge the rocking member 2''! into engagement with the wall of the member 10. v

This entire structure is carried by the ventilator construction in an assembly as it is originally mounted, as shown in Fig. 3. It might also be 'added that the member 10 carries at this time brackets 50, preferably one near each corner similar to brackets 14. The spring 30 normally holds the operating partsin the position shown in the full lines of Fig. 1 with the louvers closed. Preferably, the inner end of the member 10 projects beyond the frame studding so as to lie substantially flush with the finished inside wall, as shown in Fig. 5; said inside wall being capable of completion after this much of the ventilator is in place. Upon completion of the outer brick facing and the inner wall facing the structure appears substantially as shown in Fig. 5. It now remains to complete the ventilator structure by placing into the assembly another cooperating venturi or passageway member. This member has an outer flanged portion 60 of square formation, as shown in Fig. 8, so as to fit over and conceal the edge of the member 10, and it is held in place as by means of screws 61 taken through a portion near its outer face and into lugs 50 carried by the shell 10. This cooperating member has an inwardly projecting air passageway-forming portion 62,

ing part or ring 6'? with radially extending supporting arms 68 which may be in turn carried and supported by a member. For this purpose the member may have studs 69 secured thereto and to which the ends of the arms 68 are attached as by means of screws '70. As will be particularly noted by reference to Figs. 2, 4 and 9 all the-operating structure including the electric switch, the electric plug 46 and its bracket are positioned so as to lie outside of the inner ventural member, but inside of the case 10.

Thus the cooperating passageway member car rying its motor and fan may be slipped into place and secured. Over the face of the inward member a suitable grille 71 may be placed, which may be squared and fitted into a recessed formation, as shown at '12, in the member, andsecured thereto by screws '73. This is this same recess formation in which the screws 61 are located, and in order to space the grille from the heads of these screws, a spacer or gasket member 64 may be provided (Fig. 10). It will be noted by reference to Fig. 8 that the screws 61 and 73 fall on different centers so there is no interference one with the other.

This completes the installation of a ventilator unit and leaves only the placement of means for operating the control. However, it may be here pointed out that the motor carries wires witha male electric plug '75 which, upon placement of the inner passageway member and before placement of the grille, it may be plugged into the member 46, the inner passageway member having an aperture 63 for this purpose (see Fig. 9)

For the purpose of providing an accessible control for the lever mechanism which is now concealed, the flanged edge 60 of the inner passageway member is provided with a slot 80 (see' ber.

rocking between spring like catches 9'7 provided with catching shoulders 98 so that when the con-' Fig. 2 and Fig. 8). At the lower edge of this slot it may be widened to provide a-locking abutment 81. A control arm 82 which may have a pull cord 88 attached thereto is 'now inserted and cam it outwardly against the action of spring 37 so that the arm 82 may be positioned next adjacent the wall 10. This arm is further pushed inwardly until its forked end journals around the stud 26, and the parts are in the position shown in Figs. 2, and 9. Carried by the arm 82 is the stud 83 which also moves in behind the arm 29 of the rockable member 2'7 as it cams the same against the action of the spring 37, and when the forked end of the arm 82 abuts against stud 26 the spring 3'7 will cause the rockable member to snap with the aperture 34 over stud 83.

This completes the assembly and the ventilator is ready to operate. As heretofore pointed out the spring 30 holds the louvers closed with the operating levers and the switch in the position shown by the full lines of Fig. 1. When it is desired to operate the ventilator the cord 88 is pulled downwardly and the lever 82 caught under abutment 81 (Fig. 8) for which purpose the'lever 82 may have a projection 90. When this is done the louvers are rocked to open position, as shown by the dotted lines of Fig. 1, and as is also shown in Fig. '7 by the linkage mechanism. At this same time the arm 35 rocks the switch member 42 from the full line position shown in Fig. 1 to the dotted line position. This closes the switch 40 and the motor and fan begin operation. The fan, it will be noted, fits nicely within the circular air passageway and the air'currents may be directed outwardly, as shown in Fig. '7 thus being an exhaust ventilator. However the direction of air may be reversed from outside to inside, in which event, however, it is preferable to reverse the telescoping direction of the passageway members so that the one on the inlet side telescopes within the other. To close the ventilator the arm 82 is released and the spring 30 then returns the parts to normal position closing the louvers and throwing off the electrical current.

In' the form of the invention shown in Fig. 10 the wall consists of framework having the conventional lapped weatherboarding on the outside, as is customary in a frame building. In this event the wall may be thinner and the outer ventural member may be shortenedto accommodate for the thinner wall structure of the building. omerwise the parts are the same and the same reference characters are applied.

Also shown in Fig. 10 is a modified form of control which may be used as well with the form shown in Fig. 1. Positioned in the wall remote from the ventilator is a pivotal control member 91 which may be mounted in a box 32 and which may be covered by an escutcheon plate 93. This pivotal member may be connected by a link 94 extending up through the wall and pivotally connected as by means of a stud 95 similar to stud 83 registering in aperture 34 in a rockable mem- Control member 91' may have an arm 96 trol member-is rocked clockwise, as Fig. 10 is viewed, the arm 96 catches behind the shoulders 98. In this position, of course, the louvers are opened and the electric switch connected through the means of the rockable member and linkage connection heretofore described. It is to be noted particularly that the controlling rockable member and linkage connecting the same to the louvers may be identical in each case and the type of control, the remote type as shown in Fig. 10, or the more direct type as shown in Fig. 1 may be elected as desired. In one case the arm 82 is associated operatively with the rockable member while in the other case the arm 91 is operatively associated with the rockable member.

I claim:

1. A ventilator comprising an air passagewayforming member having a. substantially square opening for disposition adjacent one face of the wall and extending inwardly therefrom and gradually changing from square formation to a circular formation at its inner end, a similar air passageway-forming member having a substantially square opening for disposition adjacent the other face of the wall extending inwardly and gradually changing from square formation to circular formation, the said circular ends of the members cooperating to complete a passageway through the wall, and an air impelling fan positioned substantially in the circular portion of said passageway.

2. In a ventilator, the combination of a pair of opposed air passageway members each having a substantially square opening one of which is adjacent the outer face of the wall and the other of which is adjacent the inner face of the wall,

said members both extending inwardly of the wall and gradually changing in shape from substantially square formation to a circular formation at their inner ends, said inner ends being telescoped one within the other to complete an air passageway, and an air fan and electric motor therefor supported by one of said members and the'fan being located substantially in 'th telescoping ends of the members 3. In a ventilator, a pair of opposed air passageway members each having a substantially square opening one of which is adapted to be positioned adjacent the outer face of the wall and the other of which is adapted to be posisageway member having a squared formation substantially fitting one end of the shell and carried thereby, said member extending inwardly of the wall and gradually changing from square shape to circular shape from its outer edge to its inner edge, a similar and opposing air passageway-forming member carried by the shell, the two circular ends of said members being associated one with the other to complete an air passageway, and an air impelling fan located substantially in the circular end of one of said members.

5. A ventilator construction comprising a substantially square in cross section outer shell positioned in a wall, an air passageway member having a squared formation substantially fitting one end of the shell and carried thereby at said end, said member extending inwardly of the wall and gradually changing from square shape to circu- 5 larshape from its outer edge to its inner edge,

-a similar and opposing air passageway-forming member carried by the shell at the opposite end of the shell, the circular ends of said members being telescoped one within the other, the diameter of the circular ends of said members bein less than the dimension across the outer shell whereby to leave a space between the outer shell and the air passageway-forming members, movable louvers carried by one of said air passageway members, and means carried by theshell located in the space between the shell and said members for operatively controlling the louvers.

6. A ventilator construction comprising a substantially square in cross section outer shell, a Venturi member having a square outer opening with a circular inner'opening, means connecting the Venturi member to the outer shell near one end thereof, movable closure devices carried at the outer opening of the Venturi member, means for operating the closure devices carried by the outer shell and positioned between Ithe outer shell and the Venturi member, all of said structure being adapted to be inserted in a wall, another Venturi member having a square outer end and circular inner end adapted to be assembled with the above mentioned structure after assembly thereof in a wall, and means securing said other Venturi member to the outer shell near its opposite end the saidcircular ends of the Venturi members cooperating to form a passageway through the wall.

'7. A ventilator construction comprising a substantially square in cross section outer shell, a

Venturi member having a square outer opening with a circular inner opening, means connecting the Venturi member and outer shell, movable closure devices carried at the outer opening of the Venturi member, means for operating the closure devices carried by the outer shell and positioned betweenthe outer shell and the Venturi member, all of said structure being adapted to be inserted in a wall, another Venturi member having a second named Venturi member.

8. A ventilator construction comprising a shell substantially square in cross section positioned in a building wall, an air passageway member carried by one end ot.the shell and extending inwardly from said end and spaced from the shell, closure means carried by said member, another air passageway member carried by the other end of the shell and extending inwardly from said end and spaced from the shell, said two inner ends of the air passageway-forming members .co-'

operating to define an air passageway, an electric motor and fan carried entirely by said second named air passageway means, operating means for said closure means, a switch for an electric cir-' cuit for the motor, and, control means for said operating means and said switch positioned in a 'ievnaao space between the shell and the air passageway forming means.

' 9. A ventilator for disposition in a wall, comprising in combination an air passageway forming member of substantially square shape at one .end for disposition ina wall with the square end substantially flush with one face of the wall, said member having a tubular like extension extending inwardly and gradually changing from square formation to circular formation at its innermost end, the diameterof the circular end being less than the cross dimension of the square end, a similar air passageway forming member having a substantially square end adapted to be positioned substantially flush with the opposite'face of the wall and having a tubular extension projecting inwardly and gradually changing from a square to a circular shape with the diameter of the circular end less than the cross dimension of the square end, the two circular ends cooperating to complete an air passageway through the wall, and an air impelling fan substantially in the circular end of one of said members.

10. A ventilator construction, comprising in combination an outer shell substantially rectangular in cross section adapted to be positioned in the wall of a building, an air passageway forming member having one end substantially of rectangular shape, said member having a tubular like extension, means securing the said end of the member tothe shell adjacent one end of ,the shell the tubular like extension projecting into the shell and being spaced from the shell, another air passageway forming member having one end of substantially rectangular form, means securing the said second member to the shell near the opposite .end of the shell, said second air passageway forming member having a tubular like extension projecting into the shell and spaced from the shell, the ends of the tubular projections of said members lying inzclose proximity to complete an air passageway, an electric motor and air fan located in the passageway, and a control switch for themotor carried by the shell and positioned in the space between the outer shell and the tubular projections of the air passageway forming members.

11. A- ventilator construction, comprising in combination an outer shell substantially rectangular in cross section adapted to be positioned in the wall of a building, an air passageway forming member having one end substantially of rectangular shape, said member having a tubular like extension, means securing the said end of the member to the shell adjacent one end of the shell the tubular like extension projecting into the shell and being spaced from the shell, another air passageway forming member having one end of substantially rectangular form, means securing the said second member to the shell near the opposite end of the shell, said second air passageway forming member having a tubular like extension projecting into the shell and spaced from the shell, the inner ends of the extensions being telescoped one within the other, an electric motor and an air fan, supporting means for the motor andfan carried by one of the members, said fan being positioned substantially at the circular end of the member carrying the same.

12, A. ventilator, comprising in combination a shell substantially rectangular in cross section adapted tobe located in a wall, a pair of members each substantially rectangular at one end with said ends belngiitted to opposite ends of the shell, means securing the members to the shell,

carried by one member, an electric motor and said members having tubular extending portions projecting into the shell with the extreme ends thereoftelescoping one within the other, said members providing an air passageway, louvers sions being spaced from the outer shell, control means for the louvers located in said space, an electric switch for the motor located in said space, means mounting the switch to the outer shell, and operating means extending into saidv space for operating the louver control means and said switch.

FREDERICK N. ROSS. 

